The trouble with these leftist groups that are joining traditional politicians and becoming just as much a trapo as the traditional politicians whose parties they join, is that they still want to project themselves as non-trapos, still sticking to their claimed “ideology” and principles while sleeping with the trapos.

Incidentally, for all their posturing of political principles, the same group earlier had tried to forge deals with other known traditional parties that weren’t buying their terms and conditions, such as some four of them being taken in as a “package deal.”....MORE

CIUDAD ALTAMIRANO — Drug traffickers are increasingly seeking to influence the editorial line at a southern Mexico newspaper as it reports from a flashpoint region in the country’s drug wars.

“They call and say: ‘You only have to inform. Do not investigate, do not comment, do not editorialize,’” said Juan Cuevas, director of the newspaper in Guerrero State, home to the legendary beach resort of Acapulco..... MORE

After recording 11 percent in the October Pulse Asia survey, President Erap Estrada recovered to 3rd place with a rating of 19 percent in the latest survey conducted by the Center, headed by FVR PR man Ed Malay. The survey was conducted Dec. 4 to 8 covering 1,200 respondents. Noynoy’s rating has gone further down from 60 percent to 44 and now only 31 percent.

An informal survey conducted by a group of doctors among their 1,500 patients showed the following result: President Erap — 36 percent; Noynoy Aquino — 27 percent; Manny Villar, 18 percent and Gibo Teodoro, 4 percent.

Erap’s rating jumped because doubts about his running were removed when he formally filed his certificate of candidacy (CoC) for president last Nov. 30. His TV ads also started. Liberal Party leaders were spreading the story that Erap was withdrawing from the race which is totally false.